On Dec. 9, 1922, River Plaza Elementary School opened its doors to the community, welcoming students, families and neighbors inside for the first time to inspect the brand new, two-classroom schoolhouse constructed on the banks of the nearby Navesink River.

Earlier this week, members of the River Plaza school community gathered on campus once more to commemorate a century of educational excellence with the dedication of a bronze monument, and powerful words of recognition from River Plaza PFA President Susan Heffernan, Board of Education Members Barry Heffernan and President Frank Capone, District Administrators Mary Ellen Walker and Jessica Alfone, Middletown Township Mayor Tony Perry, and New Jersey Assembly People Gerrry Scharfenberger and Victoria Flynn.

United States Representative Chris Smith also honored River Plaza’s anniversary by presenting the school an American flag that was flown over the capitol building in Washington, D.C.

“Today, at River Plaza we refer to our school community as a family…What makes our school special is the choice that everyone in our community makes to treat one another as family. This includes students, staff and families all partnering and working together to make our school the best possible learning environment for all students. This is a choice that each of us gathered here today are asked to make each and every day. On our school’s 100th birthday, it’s a perfect time to rededicate our community’s choice to be a school family,” said River Plaza Principal David Whitman.

Congratulations to the River Plaza school community on its 100th birthday. We can’t wait to celebrate 200 years with you!

Holiday cheer continues to spread across the the Middletown Township Public School District. Students are participating in winter concerts and performances, including middle school band and chorus visits to neighboring elementary schools. Educators are delivering festively-themed lessons. Middletown Village conducted its annual holiday craft night. And philanthropic efforts abound, like the collaborative venture between the Thorne Middle School students in Mrs. Krystin Corace's class and local non-profit organization Holiday Express. With support from Holiday Express, the students developed gift packs that will be delivered to their peers throughout our greater school community. Check out some of the best photos of the week below.

This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources

Emotional well-being is an essential component of mental and overall health.  There are strategies and tools that individuals can practice and utilize to increase their emotional well-being. These tools are based on the foundation of social-emotional learning skills. The school counselor can help students identify and develop the skills and tools that work for them.

Click on the images to open enlarged PDF documents full of helpful safety tips regarding the Flu and carbon monoxide in the home.

The High School South community celebrated some of its top student-athletes during an NCAA Division I signing ceremony, in which the players announced where they would continue their academic and athletic careers. The full list of Eagles, as well as their schools of choice, are listed below. Congratulations to these Eagles athletes on their past successes and all they will achieve in the future.

• Emma Buthorn - Saint Leo University, Lacrosse
• William Christopher - Stonehill College, Baseball
• Abygail Doherty - La Salle University, Soccer
• David Hussey II - Duke University, Wrestling
• Benjamin Schild - University of Connecticut, Baseball
• Christopher Shay - Rutgers University, Cross Country/Track
• Rianna Sparandero - Caldwell University, Softball
• Jack Zaleski - Rutgers University, Wrestling

On Friday, Dec. Harmony Elementary School partnered with the Deanna Bottone Memorial Scholarship Fund, Live Like De, to offer holiday assistance to families.

Deanna Bottone Rose was born and raised in Middletown and graduated from Middletown High School North in 1982. Her son, Ryan, was a 2013 High School North graduate. Even though her life was cut short in 2017 after 11 months of battling aggressive brain cancer, Deanna lived her 53 years with unbelievable energy and spirit. Her family has set up the Deanna Bottone Rose Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor her memory.

The fund awards scholarships to deserving local students and offers financial assistance and donations to local families in need. The family looks forward to helping more people in Deanna's name.

Live Like De was able to offer assistance to five Harmony School families this holiday season. Families were invited to Harmony on Dec. 2, when the foundation provided $500 to each family to help make their holidays special.

Representing the foundation were Deanna’s parents, Peggy and Anthony Bottone. Peggy taught in Middletown and spent many years teaching at Harmony School. Deanna’s sisters, Patricia and Lara, were also present.

This is the second year in a row that Live Like De has been able to assist Harmony families. For more information about the initiative please visit the Deanna Bottone Rose Memorial Scholarship Fund website.

Just in time for the holiday season, and all the tasty treats that accompany the festivities, students in Mrs. Carin Kuzmin's applied arts and design course completed a pottery program by developing their own functional ceramic cookie jars.

Cookie jars are primarily found in American and Canadian kitchens to store all types of baked good, but in the United Kingdom the decorative receptacles are affectionately known as "biscuit barrels."

Households in England have featured these jars and barrels since the 18th century, but the trend didn't take hold across the pond until the Great Depression era in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Back then, American jars were often made of glass and sealed with metal lids.

In an effort to preserve the history of the cookie jar, the famous American pop artist Andy Warhol amassed a collection of 175 cookie jars, and eventually sold the lot for $250,000 in 1987.

These MTPS students continued the tradition of cookie jar development with a colorful blend of eye-catching creations that demonstrates our district's mission to offer students authentic learning and assessment opportunities that call for the practical application of skills in real world scenarios. Keep up the wonderful work!

On Thursday, Dec. 1, the Middletown Township Public School District and Effective School Solutions (ESS) welcomed ESS Senior Director of Professional Learning Laine Whitaker to the High School North Media Center for a presentation focused on supporting students who are navigating stress and excessive worry. Watch the full presentation below.